Topic not covered?

Functional stability over new features.

I am writing unfortunately after trying out the new beta version 2.1 of VideoScribe.

GIFs? Great.

Charts and Data? Wonderful.

Crashes every 5 minutes? You bet.

I have to ask the question, why is Sparkol spending any time whatsoever trying to add new gimicky features instead of stabilising the platform that exists.

It is no secret now that the majority of users are producing professional whiteboard animations for clients. Reliability and being able to deliver the product in time is not just a side thought, a hope, or quiet request. It is essential. Professionals rely on dependable software, and it seems as though Sparkol is catering soley to the amateurs.

By refusing to address the fundamental issues of VideoScribe, i.e. crashing when importing images, crashing when the project length gets too long, crashing when you try to save, so on and so forth, Sparkol is completely alienating their most profitable and loyal users.

I recently tried the simple v2 of the software, and I was not the only one to find out that the fundamental way in which the software animates the drawing of each image was not only changed, but ruined. I weighed in on the topic right here in this Community to no avail. (For the record, Sparkol's response was to 'get better with Illustrator,' which was not only condescending but a fundamentally flawed argument.)

So imagine my surprise when v2.1 incorporates the same poor drawing functionality that renders the software useless.

Sparkol - given your track record of responding to your clients I know this is going to be about as helpful as shouting at a wall, but here goes:

- GET the crashing sorted out.

- GET the memory management/computer resources sorted out.

- GET the timeline to be responsive.

THEN talk to me about your GIFs - or else you will find more and more people like me taking my subscriptions elsewhere.

Jon Air

On Fri, 21 Nov, 2014 at 9:36 AM

Hi Mark

Thank you so much for your well thought through feedback. I agree with much of what you say there. This is a beta release and we are working very hard understanding better how we make sure we don't pack in features at the expense of performance and have a really clear vision for VideoScribe.

We are going through a lot of really positive changes internally that will have a massive impact on quality - there is a blog post on it's way that will cover all this in much more detail.

I really appreciate you taking the time to share these thoughts and am very confident that we can respond best in the way possible: by taking the product forward the right way.

B

Bruce Graham

On Fri, 21 Nov, 2014 at 12:20 PM

I felt it appropriate to add that I am one of those "Pro" users, and I have never had any of the issues that are mentioned here.

I guess this issue must be hardware dependant, but I thought it important to point out that words like "useless" are not generic to your clients.

I have always found Sparkol to be responsive to ANY issues, and I think you are second to none in the respect that you give to clients.

Of course, there are some things I would like developed and sorted, (as well as some things I feel are just wrong...), however, I was recently involved in a VERY detailed exchange of ideas with development on the new audio and image features, again, a credit to your organisation and zeal to "do better".

One happy Pro client, sorry that's not everyone's experience.

D

David Zimel

On Wed, 26 Nov, 2014 at 1:06 PM

I agree with Bruce. I am , at times,working VS on on a 5 yr old 3gb laptop and have never had a crash issue. I had some issues with my PC and the problem was my PC.

Gabriel Smy

On Mon, 8 Dec, 2014 at 2:11 PM

Mark, you may be interested in our lead developer Pete's new blog post, about how development at Sparkol is changing.